Every championship team this decade finished in the top-10 in defensive rating except one (the 2017-18 Warriors finished 11th, but two all-time great scorers leaves a team a little more wiggle room). It seems Bear Bryant was right, and the Indiana Pacers (21-10) will ride the mantra up the standings.
Coming into the season, many around the league did not have high expectations for Indiana. The team experienced a lot of roster turnover during the offseason and their best player was expected to be out until at least Christmas. Little was known about how the team would come together, but the play on the defensive end of the court quelled most of those questions.